Help For The First Year in High School

What’s next? Is your role as a parent completed? Let me be honest with you, it has just began!

As a teacher who has taught in high school for a number of years, I cannot overemphasized the importance of parents’ involvement in the overall life of their children in the different stages of their education. You see, parents are one of the stakeholders in the education system Their input is irreplaceable and therefore, valuable.

I can clearly remember, how the encouragement and support my parents gave me in my first year in high school helped me to study harder and do my best in school. Being away from home was not easy for me but, just knowing that they were always there for me, helped tremendously in that big adjustment from elementary to high school. Here are some suggestions that will help your child to make a smooth transition from elementary school to the first year in high school.

1. Meet your child’s teachers

Some parents might think that this is more for their younger children. But, trust me, taking the time to meet and greet your child’s teachers will communicate to the teachers that you are displaying personal interest in your child’s school life. It may also be interpreted by the teachers as you expressing a desire to work with them to achieve the desired goals of the child and school.

2. Attend the Parent-teacher Conferences

Attendance to these conferences help parents to sit with teachers and discuss on a one-on-one basis their children’s progress, as well as, your child’s adjustment to a new level of independence of school work. As parents you have the opportunity to ask questions about school policies, and receive clarification from teachers.

3. Help your child to develop and maintain good study habits

Research has shown that you retain more of what you are taught, if the materials taught are reviewed shortly after they are taught. Therefore, encourage your children to review their notes every day after school. Or better yet, at the end of each class.

4. Encourage and help your child to eat healthy and go to bed early

Eating healthy is such an important aspect of every growing child, and especially at the preteen and teenage years of your children’s lives; and so is having sufficient hours of sleep every night. The recommended number of hours of sleep is 8.

5. Encourage your child to form good interpersonal relationships

The social life and interpersonal relationships of your child will take on new meanings and importance.. Therefore, advice your children to choose carefully their friends. Friends who will bring out the best in them.

6. Continue to Model honesty, Integrity, and open communication

Parents are communicating all the time with their children. Some of the greatest communications are the ones that are non-verbal. Therefore, show your children what honesty is by modelling this at home. Remember, that peer group pressure is increasingly more pronounced at the high school level, so they need to feel safe and comfortable to share with you some of the issues and problems they are facing at school. If your child experience trust and honesty at home, they will be more willing to share with you their problems.

7. Encourage your child to get involve in extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities are included in a school’s curriculum because they help to develop some of the” soft” skills which they may not be taught in a classroom setting. Sometimes because a child is new to a school they will shy away from getting involved in after school activities, so encourage them to find out about the ones that are offered at the school which suit them best.

8. Help your child with time management

At the elementary level students for the most part have a homeroom teacher who teaches your child all or most subject areas. In high school, however, your child will have different teachers for different subject areas, and they may have to move from class to class. Your child needs to manage his time well so that assignments and projects are handed in on time.

Again, I have found that parents who are willingly to spend the time to communicate with their kids how valuable their education is to them, and assume the role of being their children’s loudest cheer leaders; are the ones who have well adjusted kids in their first year in high school. Kids who are confident, motivated and self- assured. Kids who are able to move on to achieve for the most part excellence in their school work.

So parents, here is another chance for you to invest in the lives of your children A well adjusted first year student will pave the way for a great high school experience!